The Opelousas courier., 1887-05-21
TURKISH PALACE.
A Structure That is Striking,
Pleasing and Commodious.
Doors With Massiv, Silver Handles. a
Wonderful Turning Column, Etc.

nee. M. Emile Julliard says, in an ar
ticle in the Cosmopolitan on "Life Be.
meath the Crescent"
It is d beautiful, rectangular edifce Of
elegant proportions; but it 10 neither
Byzantine nor Moorish. Il is con-
structed in the Italian style, with an
immense terrace on top which serves as a
roof, and which is surrounded BY a SUI
perb balustrade. It has but a single
floor, reache | By an elaborate stairway
and is lighted By a row OF very high
windows. These windows are Of an
excellent design, and consist of a single
ane of glass, on either side of which
are beautiful co..umns Of genuine jaspar,
lap~is-lazuli, an ! porphyry. Altogether
the structure is strik ne, pleasing and
commodious.
The location particularly is admira-
ble-about 16i feet from the waters
edge, upon a slight eminence, from which
a view may be had that alone is worth
the whole palace. Two marble pavilions,
with pretty roofs, are pleasantly stu
ated at the two extremities of the quay,
which has an opening toward the mid
die, making q graceful landing place,
whittier come the six -oared barges ofthe
sultan to be boarded. The palace has
several annexes. That on til, left, ele-
gantly and tastefully constructed is the
imperial harem, whose grated windows
speak Of sorrow and slavery. That on
the right is the residence of princes aud
high officials Of the palace. This edifce
is naturally much less rich and less
snowy than that If the sultan.
In company with a friend and a guide
went through the interior of the prin-
cipal palace, and we dragged ourselves
rather than walked across the spacious
rooms, whose inlaid doors with massive /.
silver handles, whose ceilings in
sculptured and g.ldel compartments,
whose hangings curtains, and canopies
ii silk brocade AMI gold, seemed to
steam with the most frightful ennui that
could fall upon the head of mortal man.
Scarcely any furniture, and very
few seas. Cashmere carpets covered
the greater part Of the floor, and being
Of inestimable value, they seemed to re-
Moacli you for every step you took upon
their marvellous texture. I said to my
sell, amid all these sumptuous things,
not one of which is cheerful, cosy, or
lome-like, that the poor man condemned
~ submit to them night aud day was
more worthy of pity than envy.
Had even the walls been crnamented
With i few pictures Of the masters; if i
bad seen the forms of some graceful
statues in the angles of these a b.urdly
faIenn halls, but no, nothing for the
heart, nothing for the soul; everywhere,
coarse luxury so costly that it is repu.-
iSes fol- it has for its counterpart the
misery and rags Of several millions Of
people.
III one room, called the cabinet de
sravail, in which the sultan shuts
himself for the purpose of doing moth
I'LL and getting a little more disguised
NTH life than somewhere else, / was
Mked to admire the tassels of the cur
Iaina, each Of which cost six thousand
francs lone thousand two hundred dol
lan enoughto enable a family OF hon
sst people to live d year in ease and COM
zoFt. In the same room / was obliged,
hsweVer, to go into ecstacies over an
tnornous clock Of pure silver, repre-
ssnling. if my memory serves me Alright,
tiger hunt. MY guide did not call my
Attention to tho talent that the artist
had exhibited in9his work; he told me
imply that this big clock weighed 9
unssad pounds, and that there entered
Into its construction thirty thousand
francs worth Of silver (six thousand
~aollars), without including the work
nanship, the movements, the face orna-
nensad with precious stones, and the
gola hands, which altogether were
Nolth 1T least, three times as much
mcls.
was III the imperial court, situated
asas centre ~of the palace, that was
shoNn the turning column that Sultan
Aeaal Aziz, when be occupied Tchera-
Aas took care to have turn every morn
ss q Us axis, in order TO assure him-
sla that the ceiling was not settling,
wa threatening to crush him. For his
Alghaess. who vas killed with q pair of
scissors BIZ Midhat Pacha, had the singu-
So presentiment that he would die
lgQ'a tho falling Of a ceiling, and be
shelght justly enough, that q turning
column Whose upper extremity grazed
aae ceiling, would indicate BY Its rotary
movement whether the roof was still
alsppaed to respect life TO which the
spl5ala chung very tenaciously.
Plenty Of Seals.
lhhs quota Of loo, 900 seals annually
AlleWed by the Government 10 be taken